The Ottawa man who became notorious for approaching lone women from behind and attempting to pull down their pants was finally sentenced Wednesday, a year after pleading guilty to a second round of assaults.

Gavin Sean Griffiths, 29, had already served 14 months in jail awaiting sentencing for sexually assaulting several women in the spring of 2014.

He had only recently been released from jail for a prior series of attempts to pull down the women’s pants in 2012.

According to a statement of facts agreed to by both prosecution and defence lawyers, in the 2014 assaults Griffiths rode on a yellow bicycle and targeted female runners — slapping them on the buttocks and cycling quickly away.

None of the 2014 incidents involved attempts to pull down the women’s pants and all involved inappropriate touching above clothing.

Justice Heather Perkins-McVey added an extra 30 days to Griffiths’ sentence Wednesday to allow for a halfway house, and the Royal hospital, to prepare for his release.

She said the time he has already served — the equivalent of 21 months according to the usual pre-sentence calculation — was an appropriate punishment.

I hope you appreciate that with this sentence we are trying to find a fine balance so you don’t come back

The extra 30 days, of which he will serve 20 days, will “give everyone a chance to assist you to help with your re-integration,” she told Griffiths. “I hope you appreciate that with this sentence we are trying to find a fine balance so you don’t come back.”

Perkins-McVey noted that Griffiths suffers from mental illness and alcohol and substance abuse but said she was concerned that he had refused to take sexual behaviour treatment while incarcerated.

She also placed him on probation for three years.

Griffiths usually attacked in the early morning hours and his victims ranged in age from teenagers to women in their 40s.